Keith got up before Lance and got dressed. Brad was replaced with a female nurse who sat in an office chair, outside their room with the door open as protocol. Keith tried to change out of sight from the hallway but didn't really care one way or another. He took his medication and then came back to the room. Lance was still in bed.

"Lance, aren't you getting up?"

Lance groaned and rolled over in his cocoon of blankets. "I'm not getting up."

"Why not?"

"I have a family session today with my social worker."

"Aren't you excited to see your mom and dad?"

Lance rolled back over to look at Keith. "I don't have a father. He died when I was eight. I have a stepfather. Steve- you know him. He's a douche."

Keith bit his cheek. "Well what about seeing your mom?"

"I guess." Lance sighed, rolling his legs over the side of the bed, still wrapped up in thin cotton hospital blankets.

"You gotta take your meds, man."

Lance stood up and let the blankets fall away. He was wearing boxers and a t-shirt. "You sound like them."

Keith sighed. "You're in a rotten mood. Is this going to be a daylong thing?"

"I guess." Lance replied, grabbing a pair of jeans from the dresser beside his bed. He stripped off his shirt and grabbed a fresh one. When he was done, he turned around, jammed his feet in his shoes and walked out to the med window. They had morning meeting where they gave their safety levels

'4/4' Lance said.

'8/9' Keith replied.

Keith got the news from the nurse that he was off 24-hour surveillance and was allowed to go to 'school.' He sighed. There was really no point without Lance. Keith opened his top drawer of his desk and pulled out his schoolwork. Lance was nowhere near getting off constant observation, so Keith prepared for a boring hour of school while everyone else played Jeopardy! and hilariously easy trivia games.

He was alone in the back of the room and when the hour was finally up, he gladly prepared to go back upstairs. Lance was laying across his bed on his back, holding up a book in front of his face. Keith could see his stomach and part of his hips. He felt his face grow hot.

"How was your homework?" Keith asked.

Lance sat up. "Dreary. Yours?"

"Boring."

Keith sat on his bed. "How much longer are you on observation?"

Lance shrugged. "Dunno. I got reprimanded because I didn't take my meds on time so who knows how long they'll make me pay. It seems like everyone hates me."

"I don't."

Lance sat up. "Do you want to have lunch together?"

"Yes." Keith replied.

They walked down the hall to A lounge and grabbed their tray off of the cart and chose a spot to sit at an empty table. Neither cared about watching the television which was showing a rerun of I Love Lucy. They sat and talked. Keith traded an apple for an orange and they sat and talked. Lance was called away right at the end of lunch for his family session. Keith wished him luck.

It was a tense hour but eventually Lance came back to the room, a nurse following close behind. Lance sat on his bed and unwrapped the dressings over his arms. He saw Keith watching from his bed.

"What?" He asked. "They need to breathe."

Keith shook his head. "Yeah- just- how did it go?"

"It went. Steve pretended to care about me, my mom cried, and my social worker thinks that I am a jerk to my stepdad because I'm bipolar. He doesn't believe all of the shit he drags me through."

Keith bit his lip. "What went well?"

"Steve and my mom are separating."

"Why?"

"He hates me and he's abusive and toxic to my mom."

"Do you have any step siblings?"

Lance nodded. "Three. Two are in the military and my little stepsister is autistic. Steve loves her more than anything. He thinks that my mental health is made up and the only one with a disability is Sadie because autism is real and bipolar isn't."

"Do you like your step siblings?"

"Only Sadie. Sam and Alex are pricks. They are just like Steve. Sadie Hale is the only Hale I can stand. The only thing that sucks about the divorce is that I won't live with Sadie anymore." He sighed. "I want to be a special education teacher when I get my life together. What about you?"

Keith thought for a minute. "I think I want to go into journalism."

Lance tossed the rag ball at Keith. "Volleyball or soccer?"

Keith smirked and tossed the ball back. "Wrestling."

Lance laughed. Yep. He was gay. Keith turned around to check and see that the nurse was busy.

"You've got to get off constant observation." He whispered.

"Why?" Lance whispered back.

"Because I think you're super cute and I don't want a third wheel hanging around."

Lance grinned. "Done. Self harm is off the table."

"Oh thank God."

For the rest of the day, they put together puzzles and read chapters of books to each other.

"I'm getting off of observation- whatever it takes." Lance decided as they sat half-watching a movie.

"Good." Keith replied. "Let me know how I can help."

Lance smiled. "Deal."